Alcona girls overcome slow start to rout Owls

February 15, 2013

LINCOLN-A slow start out of the gate led to a strong finish for the Alcona girls basketball team on Homecoming Night.

The Tigers stretched a 19-point halftime lead into a 27-point advantage by the end of the third quarter and went on to beat Oscoda 63-27 on Friday at Alcona High School in a Huron Shores Conference game.

Karina Cole recorded a double-double for Alcona with 22 points and 11 rebounds and Kendra Cole added a double-double of her own with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Alcona led 14-5 at the end of the first quarter, but struggled at times to get shots to fall and also to get open for uncontested shots.

"We've been really really trying to play four quarters of basketball and we haven't done that in the last 4-5 games," Alcona coach Brad Cole said. "I thought our first quarter started out ok and then we had that big lull. We have to get rid of those lulls. You're not going to win any games in districts with lulls like that."

The Tigers eventually clamped down defensively and were also helped by the fact that Oscoda shot just 6-of-20 from the free-throw line. Alcona led 34-15 at the half.

Alcona essentially put the game away in the third quarter, starting the period on 13-2 run, including seven points from Karina.

"She's got a knack for wanting to proceed and go forward. Our team usually responds to that pretty good," Cole said of Karina.

Karina added eight steals and eight assists on the night.

Alcona led 47-20 after three quarters and several of the Tigers' bench players including Sydney Pierce, Lilly Manning and Maddie Feldhiser.

Oscoda continued to struggle with consistency on offense and went just 1-for-9 from the line in the final period.